10 Video Games That Started NEW Genres
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VOICE OVER: Mathew Arter
WRITTEN BY: Mathew Arter
Creativity is necessary for innovation and sometimes when a genre doesn't fit your vision, you must make your own. For this list we'll be looking at the games that didn't fit into the normal checkboxes and instead created entire new ways to play. In this video we'll highlight how FromSoftware created the Souls genre, Wolfenstein invented the first-person shooter, Harvest Moon led to a deluge of cozy simulator games and many more that broke the mold.
10 Video Games That Started NEW Genres
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we are looking at the ones that started it all, these are 10 Video Games That Started New Genres. Video games adapt and move, they change and they progress, but when oil is struck, everyone wants a taste of that oil! 10 is not enough entries, so we’re just gonna pick out some highlights, but let us know yours in the comments below! Let’s go.
#10: Video Games
“Tennis for Two” (1956)
Now we promise that the other entries on this list are all for actual established and interesting genres, but we couldn’t begin without at least acknowledging the game that started video games WELL before it could be diced up into genres. Simulating a tennis court from the side, the game came decades before Atari, being played on an oscilloscope with two aluminum controllers. The game was displayed during a three day exhibition which saw massive lines forming during almost the entirety of its display time. In 1958, if you whipped this thing out for people to play, you may as well have been performing real genuine magic, because it blew minds… I would have crushed those noobs.
#9: Walking Simulator
“Dear Esther” (2012)
Sure, walking simulators aren’t everybody’s cup of tea, but they did show developers that there is a keen interest in the gaming world for narrative driven experiences, with rich and interesting plots. The emotional narrative of Dear Esther at the time was uniquely tackled through interactive gameplay, and yes, despite its minimalist mechanics, it turned out to be a hit. This artistic and understated game design approach has influenced a whole HEAP of titles, including Journey, What Remains of Edith Finch, and a bunch more, but I’ve only got 7 words left for this entry. Game... Good? Make. Good. Genre. Let’s. Continue.
#8: Monster Collection
“Pokemon” (1996)
Who would have thought captivity could be this much damn fun! Launched on the Game Boy in 1996, the initial Pokemon games pioneered the monster-collection genre, allowing players to assemble a team of captured creatures to battle and advance as master collectors, and battle we did! Battle, trade, show, share, this game brought gamers together in a way we hadn’t seen in a long time, it was like a tamagotchi on crack. The Pokemon series has since inspired titles such as Temtem, Nexomon: Extinction, and even Ni No Kuni. It also inspired shows like Digimon, which now have their own games, so sure they took the scenic route BUT nonetheless, the evidence is striking.
#7: Farming Simulator
“Harvest Moon” (1996)
Released the same year as Pokemon is the farming simulator-inspiring title Harvest Moon, known in Japan (funnily enough) as “Farm Story”. Now I KNOW you’ve enjoyed a good chunk of hours in Stardew Valley, but without this game, there would be NO Stardew Valley, which I guess is the point of this whole list… ANYWAYS! Although some early simulation games included farming elements within their gameplay, none could be accurately classified as a "Farming Simulator." The first game to truly earn this designation was the seminal farming RPG, Harvest F***ING MOON, BABY.
#6: First Person Shooter
“Wolfenstein 3D” (1992)
When it comes to video game genres, there are big genres like RPG’s, sub genres like JRPG’s, and sub sub genres like Virtual Reality JRPG’s, but there’s no denying that First Person Shooters hold a prominent place as one of the big main page genres, and they all started with a little game by the name of Wolfenstein 3D. You probably haven’t heard of it. Since the launch of Wolfenstein 3D in 1992, the first-person shooter genre has soared in popularity, becoming one of the most recognizable and lucrative genres in gaming. The Wolfenstein and DOOM series continue to thrive, while franchises like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Halo have generated enormous revenues in the gaming industry.
#5: Roguelike
“Rogue” (1980)
Just this morning I was playing the immaculate and intense rogue-like game “Returnal” and thinking to myself, “What an ingenious game design this is.” Well, guess what Mat from the past you stupid chubby little twat, it all began with the aptly titled video game “Rogue”. With titles like Hades, Dead Cells, and the recently released Rogue Legacy 2 achieving both commercial and critical acclaim, it’s hard to argue that the Roguelike genre isn’t flourishing as an enjoyable and continually growing game genre. Roguelike games are characterized by their randomly generated, procedurally created levels and a "permadeath" system that erases all progress when a player is defeated. When I was a kid, we just called this ‘Not having a memory card for your PS1”.
#4: Soulslike
“Demon’s Souls” (2009)
Damn you, Demon’s Souls, you high blood pressure-inducing piece of absolute magic. If you’ve ever found yourself taking 5 steps back from your PlayStation before you kick its chest through its back, chances are you were playing a Souls game. With the success of the Dark Souls series, the genre has exploded with games like Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring, but it all started with the recently remade masterpiece “Demon’s Souls”. The Soulslike genre is distinguished by its environmental storytelling, challenging difficulty, interconnected areas, and focus on boss battles. Also, an inexplicable higher rate of broken controllers.
#3: Metroidvania
“Metroid” & “Castlevania” (1986)
It's no surprise that the aptly named Metroidvania genre was inspired by Metroid and Castlevania, both released in 1986 just a month apart. These games collectively established the genre's foundations. The Metroidvania genre is characterized by expansive, interconnected world maps with initially inaccessible areas that become explorable as players acquire new abilities, such as double jumping or underwater swimming. Think Wizards and Warriors III, think Hollow Knight, think about the fact that your tongue is too big and your skin is itchy.
#2: Battle Royale
“PUBG: Battlegrounds” (2017)
Technically, the battle royale genre began as mods for games like Minecraft, inspired by films such as Battle Royale and The Hunger Games. However, PUBG was the first dedicated battle royale game, propelling the genre into its current widespread popularity. Without PUBG, there would be no Fortnite... Yeah, got your attention now, huh? The battle royale genre has players collectively entering a designated area that shrinks in size as the game continues, forcing players to move towards a smaller and smaller location. All equipment is collected during the match allowing all players to start with the same parameters. It’s 8 parts skill, 2 parts luck, a whole lot of sweat, fear, and fun.
#1: Platformers
“Donkey Kong” (1981)
While the 1978 action game Frogger was the first to feature a jumping mechanic (a fundamental aspect of platformers) Donkey Kong was the first true platformer. This game not only established the platforming genre but also introduced two of its most iconic characters, Mario and Donkey Kong, right from the start. Donkey Kong walked so Crash Bandicoot could run, and for that, we thank it deeply. He’s bigger, faster, and stronger too, he’s the first member of the DK CREW! DK! DONKEY KONG!
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we are looking at the ones that started it all, these are 10 Video Games That Started New Genres. Video games adapt and move, they change and they progress, but when oil is struck, everyone wants a taste of that oil! 10 is not enough entries, so we’re just gonna pick out some highlights, but let us know yours in the comments below! Let’s go.
#10: Video Games
“Tennis for Two” (1956)
Now we promise that the other entries on this list are all for actual established and interesting genres, but we couldn’t begin without at least acknowledging the game that started video games WELL before it could be diced up into genres. Simulating a tennis court from the side, the game came decades before Atari, being played on an oscilloscope with two aluminum controllers. The game was displayed during a three day exhibition which saw massive lines forming during almost the entirety of its display time. In 1958, if you whipped this thing out for people to play, you may as well have been performing real genuine magic, because it blew minds… I would have crushed those noobs.
#9: Walking Simulator
“Dear Esther” (2012)
Sure, walking simulators aren’t everybody’s cup of tea, but they did show developers that there is a keen interest in the gaming world for narrative driven experiences, with rich and interesting plots. The emotional narrative of Dear Esther at the time was uniquely tackled through interactive gameplay, and yes, despite its minimalist mechanics, it turned out to be a hit. This artistic and understated game design approach has influenced a whole HEAP of titles, including Journey, What Remains of Edith Finch, and a bunch more, but I’ve only got 7 words left for this entry. Game... Good? Make. Good. Genre. Let’s. Continue.
#8: Monster Collection
“Pokemon” (1996)
Who would have thought captivity could be this much damn fun! Launched on the Game Boy in 1996, the initial Pokemon games pioneered the monster-collection genre, allowing players to assemble a team of captured creatures to battle and advance as master collectors, and battle we did! Battle, trade, show, share, this game brought gamers together in a way we hadn’t seen in a long time, it was like a tamagotchi on crack. The Pokemon series has since inspired titles such as Temtem, Nexomon: Extinction, and even Ni No Kuni. It also inspired shows like Digimon, which now have their own games, so sure they took the scenic route BUT nonetheless, the evidence is striking.
#7: Farming Simulator
“Harvest Moon” (1996)
Released the same year as Pokemon is the farming simulator-inspiring title Harvest Moon, known in Japan (funnily enough) as “Farm Story”. Now I KNOW you’ve enjoyed a good chunk of hours in Stardew Valley, but without this game, there would be NO Stardew Valley, which I guess is the point of this whole list… ANYWAYS! Although some early simulation games included farming elements within their gameplay, none could be accurately classified as a "Farming Simulator." The first game to truly earn this designation was the seminal farming RPG, Harvest F***ING MOON, BABY.
#6: First Person Shooter
“Wolfenstein 3D” (1992)
When it comes to video game genres, there are big genres like RPG’s, sub genres like JRPG’s, and sub sub genres like Virtual Reality JRPG’s, but there’s no denying that First Person Shooters hold a prominent place as one of the big main page genres, and they all started with a little game by the name of Wolfenstein 3D. You probably haven’t heard of it. Since the launch of Wolfenstein 3D in 1992, the first-person shooter genre has soared in popularity, becoming one of the most recognizable and lucrative genres in gaming. The Wolfenstein and DOOM series continue to thrive, while franchises like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Halo have generated enormous revenues in the gaming industry.
#5: Roguelike
“Rogue” (1980)
Just this morning I was playing the immaculate and intense rogue-like game “Returnal” and thinking to myself, “What an ingenious game design this is.” Well, guess what Mat from the past you stupid chubby little twat, it all began with the aptly titled video game “Rogue”. With titles like Hades, Dead Cells, and the recently released Rogue Legacy 2 achieving both commercial and critical acclaim, it’s hard to argue that the Roguelike genre isn’t flourishing as an enjoyable and continually growing game genre. Roguelike games are characterized by their randomly generated, procedurally created levels and a "permadeath" system that erases all progress when a player is defeated. When I was a kid, we just called this ‘Not having a memory card for your PS1”.
#4: Soulslike
“Demon’s Souls” (2009)
Damn you, Demon’s Souls, you high blood pressure-inducing piece of absolute magic. If you’ve ever found yourself taking 5 steps back from your PlayStation before you kick its chest through its back, chances are you were playing a Souls game. With the success of the Dark Souls series, the genre has exploded with games like Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring, but it all started with the recently remade masterpiece “Demon’s Souls”. The Soulslike genre is distinguished by its environmental storytelling, challenging difficulty, interconnected areas, and focus on boss battles. Also, an inexplicable higher rate of broken controllers.
#3: Metroidvania
“Metroid” & “Castlevania” (1986)
It's no surprise that the aptly named Metroidvania genre was inspired by Metroid and Castlevania, both released in 1986 just a month apart. These games collectively established the genre's foundations. The Metroidvania genre is characterized by expansive, interconnected world maps with initially inaccessible areas that become explorable as players acquire new abilities, such as double jumping or underwater swimming. Think Wizards and Warriors III, think Hollow Knight, think about the fact that your tongue is too big and your skin is itchy.
#2: Battle Royale
“PUBG: Battlegrounds” (2017)
Technically, the battle royale genre began as mods for games like Minecraft, inspired by films such as Battle Royale and The Hunger Games. However, PUBG was the first dedicated battle royale game, propelling the genre into its current widespread popularity. Without PUBG, there would be no Fortnite... Yeah, got your attention now, huh? The battle royale genre has players collectively entering a designated area that shrinks in size as the game continues, forcing players to move towards a smaller and smaller location. All equipment is collected during the match allowing all players to start with the same parameters. It’s 8 parts skill, 2 parts luck, a whole lot of sweat, fear, and fun.
#1: Platformers
“Donkey Kong” (1981)
While the 1978 action game Frogger was the first to feature a jumping mechanic (a fundamental aspect of platformers) Donkey Kong was the first true platformer. This game not only established the platforming genre but also introduced two of its most iconic characters, Mario and Donkey Kong, right from the start. Donkey Kong walked so Crash Bandicoot could run, and for that, we thank it deeply. He’s bigger, faster, and stronger too, he’s the first member of the DK CREW! DK! DONKEY KONG!
